Site Search

Steven Stamkos

Steven Stamkos cards are among the most popular in the hobby. The centre came into the NHL in 2008-09 with early comparisons to Wayne Gretzky. Expectations from the Tampa Bay Lightning and the league were high. The first pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, he performed decently in his first season but was unable to match the lofty expectations put before him. As a result, many collectors tried to cut their losses by quickly selling their Steven Stamkos cards before he was officially labeled as a bust and values plummeted. A dominant sophomore season put him back on the map as an elite young talent and collectors rushed to get Steven Stamkos cards and memorabilia once again.

Stamkos has asserted himself as a perennial Hart Trophy candidate as the league's MVP. The young centre became only the sixth player in history to notch two seasons with 50 or more goals before age 23.

Clearly, number one picks do not normally take anyone in the collecting world by surprise, but his relatively disappointing start helped mask the brilliance for at least one season. It also kept prices of Steven Stamkos cards and memorabilia in check. Even though the values of Steven Stamkos cards have picked up considerably, given his young age and potential, there is still plenty of room for growth. The one knock against him at this point is that the Tampa Bay area is not a traditionally strong market for hockey and this will limit his exposure.

Steven Stamkos has over 20 rookie cards that fall across all budgets. The top three cards are all numbered to 99.

Top Steven Stamkos Rookie Cards

The holy grail of Steven Stamkos cards, his rookie from 2008-09 Upper Deck The Cup features an on-card autograph and a small, diamond-shaped patch piece. Be prepared to drop a couple of mortgage-sized payments for this rare gem.

Another top option among that features an on-card autograph, 2008-09 Ultimate Collection represents a slightly cheaper alternative to The Cup. While it does not contain a jersey piece, the card is still limited to 99. For those reasons, this will always be among the top Steven Stamkos cards.

Despite not featuring patches or autographs, 2008-09 Upper Deck Ice has built a strong reputation among rookie collectors. The acetate card features a slashing background that matches the Lightnings' team colors and should remain a collector favorite based on the limited print run.

Steven Stamkos Autographed Memorabilia Buying Guide

Below you will find an example of what Steven Stamkos' authentic signature looks like. This can be used as a first point of reference for determining the legitimacy of autograph memorabilia, but is not a substitute for having your items authenticated by a well-respected professional autograph authentication company. Reputable authentication companies include JSA, PSA, Panini Authentic and Mounted Memories to name a few. Click on any of the images below to view full size photos.

Steven Stamkos Cut Signature Exemplar

Steven Stankos Key Signature Attributes: An authentic Steven Stamkos signature autograph will exhibit several distinguishing characteristics. Regardless of the type of item or when it was signed, look for, at least some of, the following signature features:

The complex nature of his signature makes it hard to replicate.

Very few letters if any are legible.

Providing an analysis is largely impossible by letter definition, instead look for some of the following shapes.

At the start you can see a heart sharp on about a 45 degree angle, this sits atop a character that looks like the classic arcade game Pac-Man.

Moving to the end of the signature, you can make out a "k" with the angled lines on the right curling in slightly to "grab" the letter "o" which is discernible.

Trey Treutel | E-Mail Author |
Trey Treutel is an Ole Miss grad and a lifelong sports fanatic. He is a huge fan of the NBA and NFL, as well as soccer, college basketball and college football. As a kid, he collected football and basketball cards. In more recent years, he started collecting basketball cards again on a whim and has since expanded to other sports and entertainment options. Find Trey on Twitter at @datreute or Google+.